IMPLEMENTATION OF O-CELL® LOAD

TESTING FOR DRILLED SHAFTS

AND
AUGERED-CAST-IN-PLACE (ACIP)
PILES

John Hayes, Senior Project Manager | LoadTest, Inc.

Matthew E. Meyer, P.E., Senior Associate | Langan Engineering and
Environmental Services, Inc.

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 IMPLEMENTATION OF O-CELL LOAD TESTING FOR
DRILLED SHAFTS AND AUGERED-CAST-IN-PLACE
(ACIP) PILES
• Comparison of Conventional Top Load and the
Osterberg Cell
• O-Cell Evolution
• Limitations and Advantages
• Applications
• Constructability Issues
• ACIP piles – Necessity leads to Innovation
• ACIP Milestones
• Instrumentation

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 COMPARISON OF O-CELL AND
CONVENTIONAL TESTS

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-Cell Evolution
Evolution of Technology from 1980’s to 2006

• Pioneering research by Dr. Jorj Osterberg and Pedro

De Silva in the 1980’s
• Osterberg’s impetus - to ascertain the bearing
capacity within a rock socket
• Mid-west US and Brazil
• Loadtest Inc. founded in 1991
• O-Cells available in sizes ranging from 9” – 34” dia
and loads from 200 kips to >64,000 kips
• Multi-cell and Multi-level applications
• Bi-directional testing is used globally

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-cell Bi-directional Testing

Limitations Advantages
• Pre-selected pile • No external reaction system
• Maximum load limited by weaker • No anchor piles
of end bearing or skin friction • Little or no heavy transport
• Test results need interpretation requirements
• Only half the stresses applied
• Top of the pile is not structurally
to the concrete
tested
• Significant cost savings as
• Top load movement curve must loads increase
be calculated

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Osterberg Cell Tests Completed in the United States*
World record load test set in 2001
World record load test set in 2003

(NH) 1
4
(MA) 26
2 3
6 (RI) 4
19
4 3
(CT) 7
33 10 19
4 7 (NJ) 31
13
10 1 24 (MD) 8
53 13 15 12
(DC) 7
2 12
2 11 2 23
(HI) 34 75 15 17
10 15
89 (PR) 29
2 Lateral
Total USA Tests: 677

*As of September 30, 2005

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-cell Tests World-wide

Key
0
1-10
11-20
21-30
>30
Upcoming/In
progress

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 2500 ton Conventional 3000 ton Conventional

No reaction system required

Advantage in many in-situ

scenarios including:
off-shore
•low concrete cut-offs
•confined areas

3000 ton O-cell Test

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference
 One Raffles Quay, Singapore
(with Gammon Skanska and Meinhardt consultant)
13 tests completed during November and December 2004 –
extremely difficult soil conditions (Boulderly Clay)

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Foundation Applications
• Drilled Shafts
• ACIP Piles
• Driven Piles
• Slurry Walls/Barrettes

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Installation Schematics for Drilled
Shafts in South Florida

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Connection of O-Cell to Drilled
Shaft

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

Drilled Shaft O-Cell and Reinforcing Cage

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 MULTI-LEVEL O-CELL
LOAD TESTING
THE MULTI-LEVEL O-CELL TEST CAN PROVIDE
THE ENGINEER WITH MORE INFORMATION WHEN
THE ESTIMATED CAPACITY IN SIDE SHEAR
EXCEEDS THAT OF END BEARING

THE TEST ALLOWS THE ENGINEER TO OBTAIN

DATA ON THREE OR MORE ISOLATED PILE
COMPONENTS (i.e. two or more for shear and one for
end bearing)

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference
Multi Level O-cell
Shaft Installation

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Constructability Issues For O-Cell
Installation in Drilled Shafts
• O-Cell diameter to shaft diameter
• O-Cell positions and tremie pipe position
• Concrete slump and slump loss vs. time
• Concrete cover on reinforcing cage
• Spacing between vertical and horizontal
reinforcing steel
• Horizontal assembly and cage lifting

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 World-Record Drilled Shaft Load
Test – 62,700 kips
… record
static load
test
achieving
62,700 kips
(278 MN) on
a single 118-
inch (3m)
diameter
foundation
pile at the
Incheon 2nd
Link project
in Korea…

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-Cell Development to ACIP Pile
Construction Technique
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
-Plato
Necessity:
• To economize the testing of ever increasing ACIP pile depth and diameter
• As pile design load increases, testing becomes more costly
• O-cell does not require reaction system, no need to drill reaction piles
• 2,000 kip load test from the surface becomes difficult – e.g. - 2,000 kip load cells are not
readily available
• Shorten time for testing – 3x design allows quick test ASTM 4311D standard

Issues Faced:

• Insertion of reinforcing steel through grouted shaft with O-cell attached

• Grout fluidity
• Sufficient cage weight
• Acceptable O-Cell/ACIP pile diameter ratio – would 50% of available volume be the limit?
• Vertical vs. horizontal assembly (cage bending/racking)
• Early recognition that entire assembly had to be as straight as possible
• O-Cell to reinforcing cage connection (steel fins vs. traditional plates)
• Augercast contractors would not change installation technique to suit our method – time
consuming, inefficient (e.g. - more than one crane)
• Innovate

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Initial ACIP Pile Applications
Initial applications
• 24-inch-diameter, 100-ft long piles
• 13-inch diameter O-cell
• 2,600 kips (Equivalent Top Load)
• 30-inch-diameter, 120-ft long piles
• 16-inch diameter O-cell
• 4,240 kips (Equivalent Top Load)

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Simulation Piles

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Auger cast-in-place (ACIP) piles

Adapting to the
Augercast
Installation
method – or
making
hockey sticks!

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

Vertical
Assembly

 Allowed
cage to flex
assuring
verticality
(no hockey
sticks)
  Welding
time
infringing on
installation
process
  Required
a pilot hole
for stinger

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Innovate - Prefabrication
• O-cells and stingers are MIG welded
in shop and then shipped to field
• “Fins” replace bearing plates -
additional planes to attach rebar
• Field welding now limited to upper
cage

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Connection of O-Cell to ACIP Piles

Additional Modifications
• Plumbers union for TT pipe
• Taping pipe joints
• Sealing of hose joints with
plumbers putty

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Installation Schematics for ACIP
Piles

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Evolution of ACIP Pile Applications

Applications
• 18-inch-diameter, 80-ft long piles
• 9-inch diameter O-cell (800 kip cap.)
• 24-inch-diameter, 100-ft long piles
• 16-inch diameter O-cell (2800 kip cap.)
• 30-inch-diameter, 120-ft long piles
• 21-inch diameter O-cell (4800 kip cap.)
• 36-inch-diameter, 120-ft long piles
• Multi-level assemblies
• Two 21-inch diameter O-cell
• 26-inch? (7200 kip cap.)

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Milestones of utilizing O-cell
Technology in Augercast piles
• Incremental records of total load on an ACIP pile – from
2,400 kips to >10,000 kips
• Increased O-Cell/shaft diameter ratio from 0.53 to 0.70
• First multi-level test on an ACIP pile (able to separate
strata)
• Testing some of the deepest ACIP piles worldwide - >145
ft. (44 m)
• Method allows economical testing at 3 times design,
allowing “quick test” standard.
• Largest known total load applied to an ACIP pile - 10,421
kips

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 ACIP Pile O-Cell and Reinforcing
Cage

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Multi-level
O-cell
ACIP
placement

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Schematic of
Instrumentation
• Dial gauges for top of
shaft deflection
• Strain gauges for load
distribution
• Top of cell telltales for
compression
• Bottom “fin” tell-tales
for downward
movement and/or O-cell
expansion
• ECT’s at tip of stinger to
measure toe movement

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-cell
Test Set up

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

Implementation of O-Cell Load Testing
for Drilled Shafts and Augered Cast-in-
Place (ACIP) Piles
• Drilled shaft load test results
• ACIP pile load test results
• Top load test results vs. calculated equivalent top load
curves
• Load Distribution
• Mobilized side shear for drilled shafts
• Mobilized end bearing for drilled shafts
• Strain gauge interpretation (drilled shafts and ACIP piles)
• Testing Devices
• O-Cell positions
• Regional Applications

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Result of Bi-Directional Load Test:
Drilled Shafts

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Result of Bi-Directional Load Test:
Auger Cast-In-Place (ACIP) Piles

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Top Load Test:
Predicted vs. Field Results

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Top Load Test Setup:
30-Inch-Diameter ACIP PILE

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Load Distribution for ACIP Piles:
O-Cell Load Tests

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Load Distribution for ACIP Piles
Top Load Tests

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Mobilized Side Shear
Drilled Shafts

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Mobilized End Bearing
Drilled Shafts

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Geotechnical Considerations for
Strain Gauge Interpretation
• Shaft diameter
• Shaft roughness/undulations
• Slurry exposure (filtercake)
• Drilling procedure and casing extraction
procedure
• Pile diameter
• Pile undulations
• Conditions at test shaft/pile location vs.
site subsurface conditions

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Shaft Caliper

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Shaft Diameter
Shaft Caliper Sample Test Results

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Shaft Diameter 3-D Rendering

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Shaft Sampling and Inspection Tools:
Sidewall Sampler

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Shaft Sampling and Inspection
Tools: Mini-SID

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Caliper Results from ACIP Pile

• No technique presently available to

determine diameter versus depth of
ACIP pile
• Inferences available based on grout
factor

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 O-Cell Positioning Considerations

• Reaction above and below O-Cell is

necessary to facilitate testing
• Proper positioning to evaluate single
or multiple bearing layers
• Proper positioning to evaluate end
bearing alone or through
instrumentation

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Typical Application in South Florida

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Typical Application in Northern
Florida

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Typical Application in Western
Florida

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference

 Conclusions
• Full-scale load testing of production sized
foundation elements is viable
• Can separate shaft capacity into
components
• Understanding of load distribution with
depth and available side shear with depth
• Can obtain end bearing values at various
deflections
• Adaptation of existing technology has
allowed ACIP piles to be O-Cell load tested

2006 ASCE Florida Section Annual Conference